Immersive remembrance and learning: Co-creative development of a VR application for dealing with and preventing right-wing extremism and right-wing terrorism

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, a new research and innovation project to develop democracy-promoting approaches in virtual immersive environments was launched at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences in December 2024 under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Matthias Quent.

Building and strengthening resilience against anti-democratic, racist, and right-wing extremist violence is becoming increasingly important in view of the rise in verbal and physical right-wing extremist attacks. Considering current research findings regarding contemporary media use, virtual space can be a suitable place for anti-racist remembrance and educational work. The use of virtual reality (VR) technologies is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly due to the ongoing development of artificial intelligence and the growing spread of VR devices. With this in mind, the project’s main objective is to create awareness of discrimination among users through immersive VR experiences. Along with educating people about the dangers of right-wing extremist and racist violence, the project also aims to generate empathy towards those affected by these dangers.

Further information: https://idk-lsa.de/ielke-vr/